BATTLING Macclesfield Town stood up to gale on a stormy night in Bradford on Tuesday, only to be undone by a single strike from Dean Foreman.

Desperate to re-assert their promotion credentials, moneybags Bradford threw everything bar the kitchen sink at the Silkmen who were resilient until the hour mark.

Then a mix-up at the back saw a weak defensive clearance fall to playmaker Foreman who stroked the ball home from the edge of the box.

Macc boss Keith Alexander said: "I thought we battled very well against an experienced and expensive team and did very well at times.

"Obviously we were under the cosh but for all the possession they had, Jon Brain wasn’t troubled too much and the goal came from one of our mistakes.

"You come to places like Bradford and they have got some very expensive players who have played the game at top level. We are a young and evolving team and, believe it or believe it not, we are trying to play game in the right way. We just gave the ball away too often tonight.

"Three of four bodies in the summer and we’ll be a team to be reckoned with.

"I know full well who I want and I’ve already made in-roads into getting them, and the rest of the players are already looking forward to the challenge next season."

Bradford created a string of chances, Steve Jones seeing a shot blocked on the six-yard line on three minutes and Michael Boulding heading straight at Brain on seven minutes.

Virtually Macc’s only chance on the first half came on nine minutes when Gareth Evans used his pace to outstrip his marker, but from the angle of the box could only pick out Rhys Evans.

In the 28th minute Luke O’Brien stood up a perfect cross for Boulding to rise above Macc’s three centre-backs, only to power a header into the gloves of the resolute Brain.

Jones was then desperately unlucky as he ghosted onto a neat ball across the 18-yard line to cannon a rising drive off the crossbar.

The chances came thick and fast in the second half with Foreman lashing a volley wide on 49 minutes and Nicky Law and Boulding both warming the hands of Brain from the edge of the box.

Though typically Alexander threw caution to the wind, bringing on attackers Kyle Fraser Allen, Danny Thomas and Izak Reid, Macc created very little.

In the 75th minute a quality pass from Fraser Allen found Emile Sinclair running through, but he failed to control and the chance went begging.

Then moments later Lee Bell curled a drive, which Rhys Evans spilled but sadly under no pressure.

Alexander added: "We are still very raw and a little nalve, but there is evidence that we are improving."